stew1705

I've a 22-250 & use factory rounds with no probs and my mate uses a 220 swift and reloads, I'm not into punching paper but they both harvest foxes, I think it's down to personal preforance as they are both good.

stew

Roskoe

I have both and shot a boatload of ammo through them. Not much to choose from here. When you try to load the .220 Swift to a level above the .22-250 performance maximum, brass life really goes south.

Best of all the high performance .22 CF's is the .22-250 Ackley Improved, IMO. You can get 4K with a 55 gr. bullet. Never have to trim cases. Load it "down" to 3850 or so and you can get over 20 reloads out of case. Neck size brass - run them through a Redding Body Die every three loadings to bump the shoulder back a couple thousands. This is the king of the hotrod .22's.

48thguns

I love my 220 Swift. Of course, I'm a reloader so factory ammo is not an issue for me. The Swift tops the 22-250 with less than max loads. I know for a fact because I reload a good friends 22-250. I have shot my pet load 39gr of IMR 4064 with a 45gr Varmiteer at 3975'/sec andhammer P Dogs at 400 yards all day long. I routinely practice on my range at 400 yards and shoot 2 to 3 inch groups <5mph wind. My Shilen barrel has a one in 14 twist so 55 grainers won't stabalize....if I were to do it over, I would go with the one in 12. I have shot >1000 rounds thru it and the throat is fine and it still holds <.5 MOA at 100 yards. Yes, you can hop it up....I know a guy who shoots 35 gr bullets in his Swift at 4900'/sec.....I wonder how long that barrel will last? The Swift loves IMR4064.....so does the 22-250 by the way. 37gr 4064 will get you 3900'/sec. Both fine cartridges. Regards, Rick.

James B

Roscoe has it right. The 22-250 AI offers the very best of both worlds. Its an easy conversion and well worth the cost. Of the standard models, the 22-250 would be my choice.

Hairtrigger

To do the AI conversion correctle the barrel needs to be set back one thread. Also the AI really shines with a fast twist and heavy bullets,which most factory offerings are 1 in 12 or 14 twist.
Also the conversion may hurt resale as you have eliminated the possibility of selling to a non reloader.
I rarely buy anything that someone else has messed with.
Having said that I own a Competitor handgun in 22-250ai with a 1 in 9 twist and love it with 60gr bullets!

DANTHEHUNTER

48th I like H414 in my swift. I can get 4150fps with 43 grains and a 40gr vmax. Roskoe are you sure you have that right, I have less trouble getting my swift up there then a 22-250. There is just more case capacity.And I have had them both but the swift is just easy to load for( atleast I think so) It is my favorite rifle to shoot.And this buisness of barrel burning, if they are loaded to match one another ,there is no difference in the barrel,throat erosion. That has died with modern metals , that shouldnt be the only thing you base your opinion on.

matters

I love my .22-250 it rocks. Brass is easy to come by everyone shoots one.

Roskoe

What I was getting atis the fact that the .220 Swift, despite having a little more case capacity than the .22-250; has a case design with more body taper as well as a more sloping shoulder. This older case design, at higher pressures, causes the case to "grow"quite a biteach time it is fired - requiring it to be trimmed every shot. And to be thrown away after three or four loadings. If you keep the .220 Swift down to about the .22-250 full throttle performance level, the case growth issue is about the same with either caliber. It's when a reloadertres to get that last 100 fps or so out of a .220 Swift that it becomes a high maintenance unit.

RWK

Whats the best barrel length for a 22-250

James B

24-26 inches IMO. No shorter than 24.